Top Financial Advisors in Charlotte, NC

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Sterling Capital Management leads off our list of the top financial advisors in Charlotte. The firm works with individuals and high-net-worth individuals, as well as retirement plans, charitable organizations, corporations, pooled investment vehicles and other institutional clients. In addition to its Charlotte headquarters, Sterling has offices in Raleigh, Virginia Beach, King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, and San Francisco.

Minimums may vary depending on the type of account or services provided. Account minimums can range from $100,000 for wrap programs and $250,000 for direct indexing to $10 million in aggregate assets for Family Office and Foundations services.

Sterling notes in its Form ADV firm brochure that it has "a conflict of interest and financial incentive to choose Affiliated Funds because Sterling receives investment management and other fee." However, as an SEC-registered investment advisor, Sterling and its employees have a fiduciary duty to act in clients' best interests. 

Professional designations represented on the advisory staff include the chartered financial analyst (CFA), chartered alternative investment analyst (CAIA) and certified trust and financial advisor (CTFA) credentials.

The firm's services include separate account management, fixed income and equity portfolio management, wrap and model programs, retirement plan advisory services and financial planning. Sterling also offers outsourced chief investment officer services, direct indexing, ultra tax management solutions, sub-advisory services and management of mutual funds, ETFs, collective investment funds and private investment funds.

When investing client assets, Sterling uses a variety of approaches across stocks, bonds and diversified portfolios. The firm evaluates investments using multiple research methods, including analyzing company financials, market trends, economic conditions and investor behavior. Advisors may build portfolios using a mix of strategies focused on income, growth, value, dividends, real estate and companies of different sizes. 

The firm has two disclosures on its record, although they are both attributed to its parent company. 

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Bragg Financial Advisors is also ranked among the top advisory firms in the Queen City. To open an account, you will need at least $1 million in investable assets, though some accounts require up to a $5 million minimum investment. The Bragg team includes advisors who hold the Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP®), CFA, accredited investment fiduciary (AIF), certified public accountant (CPA) designations, among others. 

The firm's client base primarily comprises individuals, nearly half of whom have a high net worth, although it also serves some institutional clients. As a fee-only firm, Bragg Financial Advisors and its employees do not receive additional compensation for recommending or selling third-party products. 

In addition to portfolio management, Bragg provides financial planning services that may include retirement planning, education funding planning, investment strategy development, insurance reviews, estate planning support, charitable planning, cash flow analysis and debt management guidance.

The firm offers clients seven portfolio models to choose from, ranging from a portfolio titled "Aggressive Allocation With Emphasis on Capital Appreciation" to one called "Conservative Allocation With Emphasis on Capital Preservation and Income." Bragg relies heavily on its own calculations and research to determine clients' asset allocations. The firm is consistently focused on the long term and its advisors make investments with the mindset that they will not be sold for at least a year.

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Blueprint Financial Advisors is a fee-based advisory firm that works with individuals, families, high-net-worth individuals, trusts, estates, retirement plans, charitable organizations and business entities. There is no minimum account size at the firm, though accounts with less than $1 million may be charged a $100 quarterly minimum fee at the advisor's discretion.

As a fee-based firm, certain personnel may receive commissions from the sale of insurance products or be registered representatives of broker-dealers. This could create a potential conflict of interest, but the firm and its advisors are bound by a legal fiduciary duty to put the needs of the client first. Advisors on the Blueprint team hold the CFP® and CAIA credentials. 

The firm offers both discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management services, along with comprehensive financial planning. Advisors work with clients on retirement planning, cash flow management, tax-aware investment strategies and education funding plans.

Blueprint Financial Advisors also provides guidance on risk management, insurance planning, estate planning, disability planning and divorce-related financial matters. In addition, the firm offers retirement plan consulting and advisory services related to private placements and other illiquid investments.

When it comes to investing client assets, Blueprint Financial Advisors generally uses globally diversified asset allocation based on client objectives. Portfolios may include U.S. equities, foreign developed equities, emerging market equities, real estate, bonds, inflation-protected bonds and alternative investments. The firm may use mutual funds, ETFs, structured notes, stocks, bonds, options, private placements and certificates of deposit, and its approach can include both strategic allocations and tactical, trend-following techniques.

The firm has one regulatory disclosure on its record, but it's attributed to an affiliate, not to Blueprint Financial Advisors directly.

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Insight Folios is a fee-based advisory practice that primarily works with individual clients below the high-net-worth threshold. However, the firm also serves high-net-worth clients and other investment advisors. Advisors on staff may earn additional compensation for selling securities and/or insurance products. While this is a conflict of interest because advisors have a financial incentive to recommend certain products and services over others,  the firm has a fiduciary duty to serve your best interests. 

As for its advisory services, Insight Folios offers both discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, as well as financial planning. The latter may encompass retirement planning, insurance review, estate planning, death and disability planning, tax and cash flow planning, or address other areas of need. There is no account minimum, although certain mutual fund share classes may require a minimum investment. 

When it comes to investing client assets, the firm takes a long-term approach rooted in fundamental, technical and cyclical methods of analysis. Insight Folios typically invests in a blend of mutual funds, fixed-income securities, equities, ETFs (including sector-specific ETFs such as precious metals), annuities, real estate funds (including REITs), commodities, Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities (TIPS) and private placements.

The team at Insight Folios includes advisors who hold the CFP®, chartered financial consultant (ChFC) and chartered life underwriter (CLU) designations, among others.  

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Colony Family Offices is a fee-only advisory firm that provides comprehensive financial and investment management services to ultra-high-net-worth families. To work with the firm, a family generally needs a collective account balance of $10 million.

The Colony team includes advisors who hold the CFP®, CFA, CPA, CAIA and enrolled agent (EA) credentials.

Beyond investment management, Colony delivers extensive financial planning services covering estate, trust and gift planning, tax planning, cash flow and net worth analysis, debt management, insurance reviews and philanthropic planning. The firm also helps coordinate a family's broader financial affairs by working alongside attorneys, accountants, insurance professionals and other advisors.

Colony Family Offices aims to build investment portfolios driven by passive and active strategies for long-term growth. But the firm also states, "We will likely recommend and implement tactical allocations in order to seek to capitalize on short-term investment opportunities or defend against market risks or dislocations."

Based on your family's needs and goals, the firm may invest your assets in equities, fixed-income investments, mutual funds or private investments like hedge funds. In addition, the firm can provide the following services separately upon request: investment policy statement creation and maintenance, asset allocation strategies, ad hoc investment research and consolidated performance reporting.

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To be a client of Novare Capital Management, you’ll need at least $500,000 in investable assets. The firm serves individuals with and without a high net worth, as well institutional clients. The fee-only firm has a number of certified professionals on staff, including advisors who hold the CFP® marks, as well as the CFA, CPA and ChFC designations.

The firm offers comprehensive wealth management serviecs, which typically include portfolion management and financial planning. Specifically, it can help clients with cash flow planning, retirement planning, trust and estate creation and education planning, among other areas. 

Advisors at Novare Capital Management go through a multi-step process to create your financial plan. The firm primarily invests in individual stocks and bonds, options, independent managers, mutual funds, exchange-traded funds and alternative investments. Core proprietary strategies include Core Equity, America's Finest Companies®, Energy Infrastructure, ETF and U.S. Credit Strategy. The firm relies on fundamental analysis to select securities and constructs portfolios with a blend of long-term holdings and tactical short-term positions when appropriate.

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New Republic Partners is a fee-only firm that often takes a hands-on approach to managing client portfolios. The firm also offers cash management, estate planning, financial planning, philanthropy and charitable giving services, focusing much of its attention on high-net-worth individuals. The firm requires clients to maintain at least $10 million in assets under management.

Professional designations held by members of the New Republic advisory staff include the CFA, CAIA and CPA, among others.

New Republic Partners seeks to help clients reach their goals through globally diversified portfolios designed for long-term growth. The firm may include private market investments alongside public market holdings, as well as return sources that tend to move differently than traditional asset classes.

New Republic Partners relies on a mix of passive and active investment strategies, typically emphasizing active management in asset classes where markets are less efficient and manager results vary more widely. The firm also makes direct investments in private companies, usually partnering with experienced management teams seeking capital to support growth.

New Republic Partners draws on its relationships with managers and companies across multiple asset classes and sectors to access investment opportunities that may be difficult for individual investors to reach. This may include highly sought-after fund managers, co-investment opportunities and proprietary deals.

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Biltmore Family Office is a fee-only firm that caters to wealthy families and individuals. In addition to its Charlotte headquarters, Biltmore has an office in Orlando, Florida. The firm typically aims to serve clients with net worths of $25 million, and even serves families worth more than $800 million. Biltmore also works with single-family offices and family-related fiduciary or charitable entities.

The firm's services include constructing detailed family balance sheets, developing customized investment policy statements, managing portfolios across diverse asset classes, selecting and monitoring third-party sub-advisors, as well as providing comprehensive performance reporting. Additionally, Biltmore delivers wealth planning services like cash flow planning, estate and tax planning, fiduciary administration, insurance review, family governance and education.

Advisors on staff hold a variety of professional certifications, including the CFP®, CFA, CTFA and CAIA designations, among others. 

Biltmore Family Office uses a mix of quantitative and qualitative analysis to determine portfolio allocations for its clients. The firm may invest in a broad mix of asset classes, including individual stocks, ETFs, mutual funds, bonds, private equity, venture capital, hedge funds, direct company investments, commercial real estate, commodities and other alternative investments. Portfolios may combine active and passive strategies and often include allocations to third-party sub-advisors.

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Hobart Wealth is a fee-based advisory firm that generally requires new clients to have a minimum liquid net worth of $250,000 for asset management services. Like many firms that have similar requirements, Hobart Wealth's minimum is generally negotiable. The practice works with individuals, high-net-worth individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates and charitable organizations.

As a fee-based firm, certain representatives may receive commissions or other variable compensation when recommending insurance products through an affiliated insurance entity. This presents a potential conflict of interest, though the firm and its advisors are bound by a fiduciary duty to put clients' interests first.

The firm's services include asset management, outside account management, fee-based variable annuity management, financial planning and consulting, retirement plan consulting, newsletters and seminars. Depending on the client’s needs, Hobart Wealth’s planning services may address investment, retirement, estate, charitable, education, tax, real estate, insurance and business planning topics.

Professional designations represented among the firm's advisor credentials include the CFP®, CFA and CLU credentials, among others. 

When it comes to investing client assets, Hobart Wealth uses charting, cyclical analysis, fundamental analysis and technical analysis. The firm may use long-term purchases, short-term purchases, frequent trading, margin transactions and options strategies. It may also use direct indexing strategies through certain third-party managers, structured notes and private fund investments.

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Our list of the top financial advisors in Charlotte concludes with Laurel Wealth Advisors. This fee-based advisory practice primarily works with individual clients, both above and below the high-net-worth threshold, although it also serves charities and businesses. 

There is no minimum account size at Laurel Wealth Advisors, making it accessible to a wide range of individual clients. However, some advisors on staff are also licensed insurance agents who can receive additional compensation when recommending certain products and services. This makes Laurel Wealth Advisors a fee-based practice. While this compensation model creates a conflict of interest, keep in mind that the firm is legally required to act in your best interests as a fiduciary. 

Laurel Wealth Advisors offers discretionary and non-discretionary asset management services, tailoring investment strategies to each client's goals and needs. The firm chooses investments based on fundamental analysis, the mix of industries in the portfolio and the client's changing financial goals. The firm adjusts portfolios over time to take advantage of new opportunities, manage risks and respond to shifts in the client’s situation.

Since the firm doesn't have a website, you'll have to reach out directly to Laurel Wealth Advisors for more information.